The Spiritual Beast (4)

“So you’re saying you’ve never smoked in the mountains?”

“How many times do I have to say it! I didn’t, I smoked before hiking up the mountain! I have that basic level of awareness, you crazy fox!”

“Oh really, then you finished smoking that cigarette right at the crosswalk?”

“That was a special circumstance with no one around!”

“I see.”

“You, I swear, ugh, I’m…”

“What?”

“…Just heal my finger at least. It’s bleeding.”

“Put a bandaid on it. I’m not wasting Spirit Power.”

“Aaaarrgghh, fuck, I can’t stand this! I’ll kill you today and have a fox meat party!”

Swish.

I used Spirit Power to bind his body.

“Let me go, I said let go!”

“Let’s head to the office.”

Well now,

Who was it going around reeking of cigarette smoke?

A perfectly understandable misunderstanding.

Of course, my heightened senses from manifesting seven tails made me more sensitive to smells, but still.

Get it through your thick skull.

Use this chance to quit smoking while you can, before your lungs rot out.

I led the raucously protesting Ho Joon down to the office.

Upon arriving, Lee Ha-neul and the director welcomed me.

Before meeting them, I had not forgotten to undo my shapeshifting and release Ho Joon from his bindings.

Free from his restraints, Ho Joon even attempted to subdue me using spells, but

Lee Ha-neul intervened.

Thud.

Thwack.

Thud thwack.

[Freeze]

“What are you doing to our cute Miho?”

“Fuck, Ms. Ha-neul! Listen to me. This crazy bitch…”

“Mr. Ho Joon, may I offer a piece of advice?”

“Yes?”

“If you call Miho a ‘crazy bitch’ in this Yokai Extermination Office… You’ll likely get slapped on the back of the head.”

“…”

“Be careful, Mr. Ho Joon.”

“That cow titted wench, I swear…”

Half right, half wrong.

Not a cow, but

An Ox family animal is accurate.

Best revisit your studies.

Whether Ho Joon threw a tantrum or not, I snuggled into Lee Ha-neul’s embrace and let out needy whines –

A signal for her to pet me.

“Huff, huff.”

“…Miho?”

“Huff, huff.”

“Miho?”

“Yeep, yeep.”

What was this woman doing?

Hurry and pet me already.

“…Miho, maybe you should revert to your three-tailed form when possible? You’re too… large like this.”

Ah.

Yes, good point.

In my seven-tailed form, I had the size of an adult vixen rather than a fox pup, so Lee Ha-neul likely felt burdened.

Soon after, I retracted four tails and snuggled into Lee Ha-neul’s embrace, gnawing on beef jerky…no, dog treats.

Though Ho Joon leered at me with twitching eyes,

What could he do about it?

If you envy me, become a fox yourself.

---

I was uncertain why Ho Joon was present at the Yokai Extermination Office, but

Among the four of us gathered in the director’s office – myself, the director, Lee Ha-neul and Ho Joon –

The commonality, excluding me, was that these three were aware of my true identity.

Plop.

I climbed onto the sofa, far larger than my size, and began licking an ice cream bar while kicking my short legs.

The so-called ‘Choo Choo Bar’, to be precise.

For some reason, Ho Joon stared fixatedly at me eating the ice cream, so

Feeling rather uncomfortable under his gaze, I eventually spoke up:

“Do I have something on my face?”

“No… That’s not it, but…”

“Then why are you gawking like that?”

“…That foul mouth remains as brazen as ever. I was just unused to seeing your childlike appearance, that’s all.”

Ah.

Now that he mentioned it, Ho Joon had never witnessed my three-tailed form before.

This form was his hard counter, of sorts.

No matter how lewd and unrestrained the normally debauched Ho Joon was,

He would never make advances toward a child.

“Ah, I preferred your massive udders.”

…Nevermind.

This bastard was just as unrestrained as ever.

Anyhow,

What could be the reason for the director summoning us here?

It was unlikely just for some tea party.

Based on the director’s grave expression,

This was no trifling matter.

Once his preparations were complete, the director distributed handouts to us as he spoke:

“Mr. Ho Joon and Ms. Ha-neul are likely already aware, but allow me to briefly explain again for Ms. Miho’s sake.”

The director gestured to the handouts as he continued:

“Two days from now, the government will be hosting an ‘Emergency Countermeasures Conference on Recent Yokai Trends’. Following the blue-furred fox and Cho Ma-gu, the Formless Shadow of Jangsan marks the third Grade 2 or higher yokai to appear in rapid succession. Recognizing the severity of the situation, the government is devising countermeasures…”

Finally,

The humans were starting to take proper action too.

Much too late, though.

If only they had devised countermeasures sooner, that tragedy in Busan might have been averted.

…Then again,

Considering the Formless Shadow’s danger, perhaps little would have changed even with forewarning.

If

I had not been there, what would have happened?

…Could they have exterminated it?

Hard to say.

It might have fulfilled the conditions for its ‘false ascension’ faster than being exterminated.

From the director’s explanation,

I gathered that some immensely important conference was scheduled in two days.

But then,

Why was he informing me, someone not even attending?

Swish.

The director presented us with a photograph.

A blue-furred coat reminiscent of moonlight –

It was a photo of the blue-furred fox.

“The blue-furred fox. A formidable Grade 2 or higher yokai, yet exterminated by Martial Artist Lee Ha-neul.”

The next photo shown was of Cho Ma-gu.

“Cho Ma-gu. Judging by yogi alone, a Grade 7 yokai, but considering the shockwaves its abnormally immense physical force could trigger, it is estimated to possess at minimum Grade 2 power. This too was exterminated by Ms. Lee Ha-neul and the Jiri Mountain Office.”

Gradually,

The next photo became predictable –

A CCTV capture, where the yokai’s form was indistinct.

‘The Formless Shadow’ seemed a most fitting name, I thought.

“The Jangsan Beast. Yogi unmeasurable. Caused numerous casualties. After the battle, Spell Master Ho Joon exterminated it, with an ‘unknown assistant’ believed to have aided him. …This covers the contents of the official government report, but we individuals gathered here know full well that this report is an utter fabrication.”

Swish.

All eyes turned to me.

…Burdensome.

Yes,

Coincidentally, I had been intimately involved in all three of these incidents:

I exterminated the blue-furred fox,

I exterminated Cho Ma-gu,

And I exterminated the Formless Shadow as well.

Hence,

“Director, what exactly are you trying to say?”

“Ms. Miho, I will be direct with you.”

“…”

Gulp.

I tensed up.

I could not fathom what words might emerge from the director’s mouth next.

“At this upcoming conference, I intend to reveal your true identity to the people.”

“…Pardon?”

I had a dumbfounded look upon hearing the director’s subsequent words.

Regardless of any expectations,

This was

Too preposterous a notion, was it not?

I asked the director in earnest concern:

“Director, could you perhaps be under some charm and have lost your mind?”

“No, I have not.”

“Are you having some strange thoughts after seeing my body?”

“Not at all.”

“Then why would you say that? Are you feeling unwell? Should I provide treatment?”

“I am perfectly fine.”

“Does that make any sense…?”

“Yes, it does.”

Was everyone just messing with me?

Lee Ha-neul and Ho Joon remained tight-lipped, merely nodding along to the director’s words.

Was I the one being unreasonable?

Seeing my confusion, the director elaborated:

“Think about it, Ms. Miho. If the Jangsan Yokai Extermination Office had been aware of your existence beforehand and requested your aid, the casualties could have been exponentially reduced, though perhaps not the initial civilian losses.”

“…”

His words rang true.

While the earliest victims might have been unavoidable,

At least hundreds of lives could have been spared.

However,

The very premise of the Jangsan Office requesting a yokai’s aid lacked any semblance of reality to begin with.

Of course, for

“I am a yokai, you know.”

Humans to request a yokai’s assistance was simply inconceivable –

Except for this uniquely accommodating Jiri Mountain Office that readily welcomed me without prejudice.

The one who answered my query was not the director, but Ho Joon:

“Didn’t I tell you before? You’re not a yokai, but a spiritual beast.”

“Whether spiritual beast or yokai, it’s all the same…”

“No. They’re different.”

Ho Joon’s subsequent words left me uttering a “Huh?” in astonishment:

“In the past, humans and spiritual beasts coexisted. I read accounts of this in the Taoist Society’s ancient texts, so it’s reliable.”

“Th…Then what exactly are these spiritual beasts?”

“I cannot divulge their name. I have not yet received permission from the Grand Master.”

“…”

“In any case, Miho. Spiritual beasts like yourself coexisted with humans in the past, so they can coexist in the present too… That is our view.”

These spiritual beasts he mentioned,

Could it be San-gun?

The only spiritual beast I knew of was San-gun.

“In any case, the humans are in dire need of your aid right now. To receive your help, cooperation from other offices and the government will likely be necessary too. Hence, we three intend to vouch for your existence at this conference. For reference, my stance represents the entire Taoist Society.”

Ho Joon, this man –

I was aware he was a formidable Spell Master, but he seemed even more illustrious than I had imagined.

All well and good, but

“…Will the people even believe it?”

If they did not believe, it would all be for naught, would it not?

Lee Ha-neul provided the response:

“How would we know without trying! We won’t know unless we give it a shot.”

“And if they don’t believe you, then what happens?”

“Umm, well, we might get branded as traitors to humanity and rot in prison for life?”

“…You’re all insane.”

These fools, honestly.

Readily accepting such an outrageous risk solely to vouch for me?

They had lost their minds.

Lost their damn minds.

…And yet,

Why did I feel so elated, in a way I could not comprehend?

My nose grew runny and eyes watery with sheer joy.

The realization dawned that my actions had not been in vain.

It was a moment of self-admiration.

“Miho, are you crying?”

“N…No, I’m not…”

“So cute! Come here, let me wipe those for you.”

She said ‘come here’, yet approached me instead.

Lee Ha-neul then seated me on her lap and began petting my head.

Watching this scene in a daze, Ho Joon muttered:

“I still can’t believe this little runt is that lascivious, massively titted fox vixen.”

…Did he have to ruin the poignant moment like that, this lecherous fool?

Observing the situation, the director soon smiled and continued:

“You need not worry so much, Ms. Miho. We will handle it, so please wait here…”

“No, waiting idly does not suit my nature.”

“Hahaha, I am well aware of Ms. Miho’s nature. However…”

“I want to attend too.”

“…Pardon?”

To the director’s foolish echo, I reiterated clearly:

“I’m going too. To the conference.”

No need to vouch for me.

I would prove my own existence directly.

And conveniently, I could tour Seoul at the same time – how wonderful.